Cacao Rehabilitation

CACAO Rehabilitation
VimarceV.
Josephine R.Ramos
Culi
•Chairperson, NAFC-Cocoa Industry Development Sub-Committee
jvr313@yahoo.com
ehabilitation of Cacao Trees
Objective To be aware of the factors influencing
the quality of the cacao beans in the
marketing context, and the efforts that
can link farmers to growth markets.
Rehabilitation can be carried out by:
(1)removal or replacement of the existing

unproductive trees;
(2) through side-grafting or through bark-grafting.

Side-grafting involves the utilization of scions
from plants known for high yield and quality beans
to be side-grafted to existing unproductive trees
in the plantation.
Side Grafting
A less productive tree can be renewed to produce

more pods by grafting branches from the selected
trees unto the unproductive tree. The trees to be
subjected for rehabilitation are either young trees
which have never produced many pods, or very
old trees which no longer produce as many pods
as they used to. The scion or budwood should
come from trees selected for both high
productivity and resistant/tolerant to major pests
and diseases.
In order to do this, the farmer must master
techniques of side-grafting. This consists of:
* Ability to prepare the scion or budsticks
* Ability to prepare the tree for grafting
* Putting the graft in place
* Taking care of the new graft until it has grown firmly

into
the tree
* Maintaining the grafted branches
A tree can have up to three side grafts, but these must be

made one month apart. In other words, the second side
graft should be made at least month after the first side
graft.
Materials Needed
The materials needed for side grafting are the following:
1.Notebook and pencil
2. Sharp Pruning knife
3. Sharpened machete
4. Raffia/plastic twine
5. Plastic bags
6. Transport for participants to the field

Procedure
The following are the procedures in side grafting:
1. Identify old, less productive but healthy trees to be subjected

to side-grafting.
2. Gather budsticks from budwood garden.
3. Prepare the budsticks to be used for side grafting.
4. Make first horizontal deep cut on the main trunk.
5. Shave bark downward into the cut.
6. Make sure original cut is through the bark to the white wood inside
7. Make two cuts downward from the horizontal cut.

• Gather budsticks from
budwood garden.
• Prepare the budsticks to

be used for side grafting
Make an ‘inverted V’ cut on the main trunk.

8. Create "window" by peeling the bark neatly and cleanly downward
to reveal cambium.
9. Insert budstick into "window"
10. Tie window closed.
11. Make sure graft is tied securely.
12. Cover side graft with plastic bag and tie tightly against the tree
with raffia.
13. Remove plastic cover after one month.
14. Production side grafted trees 30 months (2 � years) after

grafting.
NOTES:
If not successful, repeat the process after one month on the same
trees for up to three side grafts per tree.
Make sure to wait for one month before removing the plastic bag
from a side graft.
Insert budstick into the
“window”
Mature cacao trees can thrive in full
sunlight after removing the
temporary shade, as long as the
cacao leaf canopy had already
closed-in. under full sunlight, cacao
would require higher level of
nutrients. Pod yield is expected to
increase after removal of shade due
to increased light intensity resulting
in faster rate of plant's metabolism.
Harvesting and Post Harvest Operations
•To understand the most common and destructive
insect pests and diseases attacking cacao, their
economic importance, life cycle and nature of
damage, the conditions that favor pest and disease
insurgence or resurgence, and the most efficient
control and management strategy.
Production of quality cacao

beans involves proper
processing of wet beans with
special reference to the
standard of quality required by
the market. Preparing cacao for
the market involves proper
harvesting and pod breaking,
fermentation; and, drying.
Pods Harvesting
From the pollination, cacao pods are formed, grow to
maturity, and ripen in 160 to 180 days. Physical
indicator of ripened pods is the change in color,
green turns yellow, or dark - red purple to yellow or
orange.
Processing begins with harvesting of healthy ripe pods.
 A machete or cutlass is normally used to remove the

pods from the tree.
 Care should be taken that the pod is not damaged during

removal from the tree.
 More importantly, the flower cushions should not be

damaged so that they would be able to produce flowers
and pods for several years.
 In addition, damage can lead to fungal infection of the

tree.
 Harvest pods of 75% ripeness regularly to avoid pods to

over ripen as beans may germinate.
Pod Harvesting
Pod Breaking and Removal of Seeds
Open the pods after storing using wooden baton or devised pod splitter
to avoid injury or cutting the seeds. Damaged seeds may allow molds &
insects, & broken beans are also discarded during sorting & grading.
The seeds or "wet beans"

attached to the placenta
are taken out and
collected in the
fermentation box or
basket.
The Fermentation Process
• There is no chocolate flavor in cacao beans without proper

fermentation.
• During the fermentation, compounds (precursors for chocolate

flavor) are formed that will react with each other during two steps
and two locations:
Fermentation of sugars in pulp surrounding cacao beans.
Sugars transformed into alcohol and then to acetic acid

(similar to the grape fermentation to produce wine and then
vinegar); and Acidic acid, produced externally, penetrate
through the husk and cause biochemical reactions in the bean
that are responsible to the formation of chocolate flavor
precursors.
There are factors influencing the fermentation, and these
include:
 Ripeness of the pods

 Quantity of beans
 Type of cacao
 Duration of fermentation.
Cacao beans should undergo five (5) days fermentation, with

first turn done after 48 hours, and the second turn after
another 48 hours, will normally result in lower acidity.
Fermentation process is assessed by the odor, and the
external and internal color of the beans.
The manner of fermenting cacao varies among producing

countries, and many instances, among forms or farmer
groups. In commercial scale operations, permanent
fermentation structures are established, while most
smallholders with relatively small volumes of produce
undertake cacao beans fermentation in baskets, fruit boxes
or heaps.
The following are different fermentation process:
a) Fermentation in Boxes
Fermentation boxes:
 85cm x 85cm and 45cm deep can accommodate

approximately 300kg of wet beans.
 But as a rule all boxes with dimensions between 75cm x

75cm x 45cm deep or 1.0m x 1.0m and 45 cm deep should
give reasonable fermentation for 200 kg to 400 kg of wet
cacao.
 For smaller quantities during the low crop season it would be

the best to have box with removable dividers, maybe
quartered by removable boards to be able to get good box for
50 kg if quartered the 75cm x 75 cm box to get 100 kg if the
same box is just divided by two.
B) Basket Fermentation
The basket is lined with banana leaves or perforated plastic sacks to

provide drainage. The basket should b e raised slightly off the ground.
Wet beans of 50 kilos or more in a batch completely ferment in 5-6 days
with mixing or turning after 49 hours from loading the wet beans. The
basket containing cacao seeds should be kept under roof to prevent
rainwater from entering the mass of seeds. It is important to cover the
baskets or boxes with jute bags to avoid losses of heat which is crucial
for good fermentation. When the fermentation period is completed, the
beans are ready for drying.
Training of Trainors: Code of Practice for
DA-PHILMECH 2013 23
Philippine Cacao
DA-PHILMECH 2013 24
Philippine Cacao
DA-PHILMECH 2013 25
Philippine Cacao
Size of fermentation boxes vary (flexible)
depending on volume of fresh beans/batch

DA-PHILMECH 2013 26
Philippine Cacao
Factors influencing the fermentation
 Ripeness of the pods
 Pod storage
 Quantity of beans
 Quantity of pulp
 Type of cocoa
 Duration of fermentation
 Turning
 Seasonal effects/climate
 Pod’s pest and disease
Cacao Beans Drying Process
Drying the fermented cacao beans is the process of reduction of moisture from
45% to 7%. It is actually an extended part of fermentation. As long as there is
enough moisture, flavor forming reactions in the beans continue as well browning
reaction that oxidize polyphenols and leads to reduction of astringent and bitter
taste.
In addition, during the drying process, the excessive acidity is eliminated through
evaporation of acetic acid through the outer skin white it is still moist.
The following are the two drying process of cacao beans:
Sun-Drying
Sun-drying is based for good quality cacao beans but under Philippines condition,
the most practical approach could be of combined sun-mechanical drying: starting
with sun drying for 1 -2 days, and finishing up with artificial drying. This approach
could address the lowering of cost compared with using artificial dryers alone, while
attaining high quality dried fermented cacao beans. Presented below are several
low-cost approaches for sun-drying cacao beans.
The figure illustrates a 50 kilogram capacity solar dryer.
Post-
harvest
Assistance
Sun drying may also be done on multi-purpose drying
pavements provided that the cacao beans are placed on
receptacles made of plastic, or banana mats sheeting on the
cement floor. In some cases, trays made of bamboo, or
plastic screen are used. This is important to avoid
contamination with dust and other foreign materials or
accumulation of foreign wastes that would result to low
quality, or worst, rejected cacao beans.
For beans spread on cement floors, the best drying
thickness is 6.3cm. Total drying time is 31 hours at full day
sunshine or 5-8 days at 4-6 hours sunshine each day.
If receptacles are used, the beans spread at 5cm thickness

is completely dried in 35 hours under full day sunshine.
Cocoa fermentation
There is NO chocolate flavour in cocoa
beans without fermentation
During fermentation are formed
compounds (precursors for chocolate
flavour) that will react with each other
during the roasting to form chocolate
flavour
Maiden
Shipment of
Quality
Fermented
Cocoa Beans to
the USA
Quality Cocoa Beans for

Shipment

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CACAO Rehabilitation

(1)removal or replacement of the existing

(2) through side-grafting or through bark-grafting.

A less productive tree can be renewed to produce

* Ability to prepare the scion or budsticks

* Ability to prepare the tree for grafting

* Putting the graft in place

* Taking care of the new graft until it has grown firmly

A tree can have up to three side grafts, but these must be

1.Notebook and pencil

2. Sharp Pruning knife

6. Transport for participants to the field

1. Identify old, less productive but healthy trees to be subjected

2. Gather budsticks from budwood garden.

3. Prepare the budsticks to be used for side grafting.

4. Make first horizontal deep cut on the main trunk.

5. Shave bark downward into the cut.

7. Make two cuts downward from the horizontal cut.

• Prepare the budsticks to

Make an ‘inverted V’ cut on the main trunk.

9. Insert budstick into "window"

10. Tie window closed.

11. Make sure graft is tied securely.

13. Remove plastic cover after one month.

14. Production side grafted trees 30 months (2 � years) after

Production of quality cacao

 A machete or cutlass is normally used to remove the

 Care should be taken that the pod is not damaged during

 More importantly, the flower cushions should not be

 In addition, damage can lead to fungal infection of the

 Harvest pods of 75% ripeness regularly to avoid pods to

The seeds or "wet beans"

• There is no chocolate flavor in cacao beans without proper

• During the fermentation, compounds (precursors for chocolate

Fermentation of sugars in pulp surrounding cacao beans.

Sugars transformed into alcohol and then to acetic acid

 Ripeness of the pods

Cacao beans should undergo five (5) days fermentation, with

The manner of fermenting cacao varies among producing

 85cm x 85cm and 45cm deep can accommodate

 But as a rule all boxes with dimensions between 75cm x

 For smaller quantities during the low crop season it would be

The basket is lined with banana leaves or perforated plastic sacks to

Training of Trainors: Code of Practice for

If receptacles are used, the beans spread at 5cm thickness

Quality Cocoa Beans for

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